Spam threads

[Mart]

Am I the only one seemingly getting fecked off by the amount of spambot threads being posted in General chat?

I must've moved getting on for double figures of said threads into the Committee 'bad threads' section today, yet has there been any word about it? Has there bollox.

Are we gonna let these spam threads keep appearing, whilst p1ssing off everyone in the process, or are the Committee gonna finally lock the site out to non-members?

I'm starting to getting that deja vu feeling of the Committee doing feck all once again...

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

I feel today has gone abit crazy for spam threads...

But yes i do agree lets block non members from posting... even if its for 48 hours and try again... www.rtoc.org is being spammed alot atm.

[Marcus]

It's easy enough to sort, just needs an image recognition bit on the registration page that stops the spam bots from signing up at all

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

I have just banned another user PeterYS - another spam thread... also another user name that we wont be able to use again..

[tonesGTT]

Am I the only one seemingly getting fecked off by the amount of spambot threads being posted in General chat?

I must've moved getting on for double figures of said threads into the Committee 'bad threads' section today, yet has there been any word about it? Has there bollox.

Are we gonna let these spam threads keep appearing, whilst p1ssing off everyone in the process, or are the Committee gonna finally lock the site out to non-members?

I'm starting to getting that deja vu feeling of the Committee doing feck all once again...

Are we gonna let these spam threads keep appearing, whilst p1ssing off everyone in the process, or are the Committee gonna finally lock the site out to non-members?

[Big Steve - Raider]

We sure do seem to be getting a load of spam messages tonight!!!

I'm sure the Committe are currently holding a web conference between each other to discuss this problem & jointly agree on a solution to move forwards.....

[D4WNO]

Mart, Gordon, Shoppers and myself have all expressed that we want it locked down to non-members completely but not heard anything back yet on the committee board. Will keep you guys in the loop because, as Mart is, I'm fed up of moving threads/banning members today.

[Mart]

It's easier to stop non-members from being able to post full stop.

Why should they get a free ride, when everyone else is paying to post on here? They can see what the club is all about/what it has to offer via the viewable threads which are open to non-rtoc members, plus the fact that I think rtoc is pretty well known by all by now.

If they like what they see, and wanna be part of the community, cough up some moolah. If they don't, bye bye.

[Mart]

I'm sure the Committe are currently holding a web conference between each other to discuss this problem & jointly agree on a solution to move forwards.....

Yeah, I reckon they are as well mate...not

[Scoff]

mart, I havn't see ANYTHING yet, and if I havn't seen them there's a pretty good chance that a lot of others havn't either. As for feck all being done, I hope to god you arn't including me in that, or Ian, or miller, because the ammount of work we've put in is inordinate.

Wrong place totally for this thread, PM would have been much better mate

[Marcus]

Scoff - Might be handy - http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showt...ghlight=NoSpam!
Or - http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=124828

[Mart]

Mart, Gordon, Shoppers and myself have all expressed that we want it locked down to non-members completely but not heard anything back yet on the committee board. Will keep you guys in the loop because, as Mart is, I'm fed up of moving threads/banning members today.

Did I see Ashy's name there originally?

Ok, fair play to the Committee members that have actually taken note, but again, where's the rest of the Committee, and double again, why has it been down to you & I to sort out all this bollox today/tonight?

[Wayno]

If they like what they see, and wanna be part of the community, cough up some moolah. If they don't, bye bye.

[D4WNO]

Did I see Ashy's name there originally?

Yeah, got my names muddled up lol (you ruined my discreet edit by the way, bah humbug )

[Mart]

mart, I havn't see ANYTHING yet, and if I havn't seen them there's a pretty good chance that a lot of others havn't either. As for feck all being done, I hope to god you arn't including me in that, or Ian, or miller, because the ammount of work we've put in is inordinate.

Wrong place totally for this thread, PM would have been much better mate

No, that's because Dawn & myself have been moving them to the 'bad threads' section before people have had chance to post on them. If you check that section, you'll see some of today's quality threads.

I know the effort you're putting in Chris, and can't believe you think I'm aiming all this at you, but I mentioned ages ago about locking the site out, and you were the only one to reply, hence my previous 'where are the rest of the Committee?' comments.

[Scoff]

Ok, cool, but the whole reason why non-members are allowed to use General chat is because that was the outcome of a decision that the committee (Ie more than me) made when I started building the site. Maybe it wasn't the best choice ? I dunno, but it seemed like a fair way of attracting new members. ..and if I havn't seen them then there's a very strong chance that other CM's havn't either.

[Ian S]

It's easy enough to sort, just needs an image recognition bit on the registration page that stops the spam bots from signing up at all

We have this from the begining.

They are humans registering. Maybe all the same Human.

[Mart]

Scoff, if the Committee have been discussing it, then I wholeheartedly apologise for going off on one in this thread.

However, given that none of us, apart from you guys, can read the Committee section/threads, and given the lack of replies from the Committee to my previous threads about it, you'll forgive me for thinking that I've been ignored, or that it's been swept under the carpet.

I'll lock this thread (*) as at least the Committee are now aware of the spambot issue.

* Feel free to delete it if needs be.

[Ian S]

Just like to add that I've not seen them either until just now when I was reading the committee boards.

It looks like we are having quite a high proportion of new members over the last two months, compared to renewals.

Maybe posting on general chat is helping to give confidence to join, maybe it isn't. It's not easy to tell. We've been advertising quite a bit too.

Mart if you're the moderator for General chat it's of course you who's lumbered with weeding this sort of thing. Plus anyone else who sees it and helps out. It's a small task though compared to the fully moderated site that was in place a few years back to stop abuse where EVERY post was read by someone and approved.

One way might be to introduce a very low fee, say £1, to register. that might stop this kind of spamer like we had today.

[Scoff]

I could understand it if there had been big spam issues prior to the last 48hrs, but I don't think there has ? Just a bit shocked to sit down and see this in general chat before anyone had even PM'd or emailed me to say there was a problem.

Anyway.... what do we do about it ? I'll tell you what the software can and can't do, then I'll let people tell me what they think is best.

1/ the software can't stop non-paid members from registering. Order of registration needs to be: register -> pay and not the other way around, like the old site. All forum softwares that I've seen operate this way too, which is a bit of an arse really.

2/ I can switch off any number of user privillages, like General chat posting, PM function, etc, for non-paid members.

3/ marcus, the forum already uses image recognition in the registration proccess. the people that spam here are exactly that, they are people. not many ways around that one!

[Mart]

Just like to add that I've not seen them either until just now when I was reading the committee boards

Does no-one else on the Committee watch/check their section frequently then?

Dawn & myself started moving threads into the 'bad threads' section around this time yesterday morning, so I find it hard to believe that not one Committee member either didn't see the threads (being moved), or wasn't checking the Committee boards section at any one time throughout the day.

If that is the case, then what's the point of having a 'Committee only viewable/post-able' boards section if no-one is bothering to keep an eye on it?

For the record, I have no problem with mod'ing the boards, I don't see it as being lumbered with the job whatsoever, and thus that isn't the reason why I started this thread...

[Ian S]

what's the point of having a 'Committee only viewable/post-able' boards section if no-one is bothering to keep an eye on it?

So bad threads can be moved there immediately and discussed later as and when committee members log on.

This spam issue is new and different. It means either Scoff implementing a technical solution if there is one or a change in club policy and Scoff closing the general chat board for posting to the 350 registered non full members.

[Mart]

As I mentioned before...

Why should they get a free ride, when everyone else is paying to post on here? They can see what the club is all about/what it has to offer via the viewable threads which are open to non-rtoc members, plus the fact that I think rtoc is pretty well known by all by now.

If they like what they see, and wanna be part of the community, cough up some moolah. If they don't, bye bye.

[Mart]

6 more spam threads moved today, so far...

[clee]

The RAOC is always under attack .Mainly by bots .I think the record was a couple of hundred in one day .

[Guybrush]

i know, i moved about 5/6 yesterday day-time.

the majority seems to be coming from 2 ip addresses, so i've noted them, and Scoff will hopefully ban the IP's when he's next on.

[The new Bill J]

I moved some yesterday as well

[Marcus]

Are you 100% that its humans registering? I would think its just bots who have sussed the image certification, also can't you just ban certain types of email address? Loads of info on the VBulletin boards with this sort of thing.

This forum:

http://bttos.com/forum/register.php

Uses a different type of image recognition and they have no issues with spam bots registering currently, it's just something you have to keep on top of and keep changing as the spam bots get cleverer!! I think you need to look into that before stopping non full (Genuine) members from posting

[Gymnast]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Billy ... can't you just eat all the spam?

[The new Bill J]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Billy ... can't you just eat all the spam?

Errm, no Giles

[BriC]

Why? Don't be such a woman.

[The new Bill J]

Why? Don't be such a woman.

I don't like spam.

[Gymnast]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Ok, well I'm sure Mart will step up if we can make him a spam korma

[BriC]

You're not a team player, are you Bill?

[Scoff]

i know, i moved about 5/6 yesterday day-time.

the majority seems to be coming from 2 ip addresses, so i've noted them, and Scoff will hopefully ban the IP's when he's next on.

feel free, I'm taking a break

[Guybrush]

feel free, I'm taking a break

ok mate . ip's banned

[Scoff]

you might notice (or not, since people generally do not notice good work, only the bad) a reduced number of spam. gordon and I have banned a lot of ip's and email domains that were the source of the spam.

it'll probably be overcome, at which point there will need to be a better system installed by someone.

[BriC]

you might notice (or not, since people generally do not notice good work, only the bad)

As sad as it is, that's the way how a lot of life works. We see a lot of bad, but fail to take on board the good.

Cheers though Scoff!

[dave j gtt]

Are we gonna let these spam threads keep appearing, whilst p1ssing off everyone in the process, or are the Committee gonna finally lock the site out to non-members?

lock the site out to non-members?

[dave j gtt]

It's easier to stop non-members from being able to post full stop.

Why should they get a free ride, when everyone else is paying to post on here? They can see what the club is all about/what it has to offer via the viewable threads which are open to non-rtoc members, plus the fact that I think rtoc is pretty well known by all by now.

If they like what they see, and wanna be part of the community, cough up some moolah. If they don't, bye bye.

google search rtoc. join if your interested if not fack off

[dave j gtt]

mart, I havn't see ANYTHING yet, and if I havn't seen them there's a pretty good chance that a lot of others havn't either. As for feck all being done, I hope to god you arn't including me in that, or Ian, or miller, because the ammount of work we've put in is inordinate.

Wrong place totally for this thread, PM would have been much better mate

Listen this is general chat, everyone can see as non memebers wrong place for thread
Lets not get on each others backs , make decisve action for less hassel and block non-members from posting.

Mart you have said as i have,
From the start of the new beggings on this site. non members shouldnt be able to join or post just veiw and then cough up and be a part , stay there year and piss of or stay for a bit whatever

the fact that non members are waisting time of the clubs helpers is crap

[Mart]

As I put in the PM Scoff, the whole point of this thread wasn't a knock at you or your badical website whatsoever; more so the lack of input from the Committee/lack of help in banning the ip's/lack of anyone (bar yourself) replying to my previous waffle about locking the boards out.

Cue my...

"Scoff, if the Committee have been discussing it, then I wholeheartedly apologise for going off on one in this thread.

However, given that none of us, apart from you guys, can read the Committee section/threads, and given the lack of replies from the Committee to my previous threads about it, you'll forgive me for thinking that I've been ignored, or that it's been swept under the carpet."

...previous comment from before.

Dave's last line from his last post about non-members wasting club helper's time is exactly what I'm getting at.

Don't take it to heart man, as this isn't anything about you/your website.

[Marcus]

Scoff you should know better than anyone that Mart is just a whinging northern wannabee

I know I have said it before in other threads, but this site is sooooooooo much better now and thats all down to your hard work